Hoist

ABSTRACT

A PORTABLE COMPACT HOIST CONSTRUCTED OF LIGHTWEIGHT METALS AND HIGH STRENGTH FABRICS. THE INVENTION HAS A MAXIMUM LIFTING CAPACITY AND A MINIMUM SIZE AND WEIGHT. A SELF-LOCKING GEAR ARRANGEMENT THAT CAN BE OVERCOME BY MOMENTUM OF AN OPERATING, HANDLE INSURES THAT A FLAT TAPE USED FOR THE HOIST   CABLE CAN BE EFFICIENTLY WOUND ONTO OR OFF OF THE REEL AND THAT THE TAPE CAN ALSO BE RAPIDLY PULLED FROM THE REAL.

United States Patent [191 Lifferth 1 Oct. 16, 1973 HOIST [76] Inventor:Henry R. Lifferth, PO. Box 57,

Fortine, Mont.

[22] Filed: Aug. 2, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 167,992

[52] US. Cl. 254/186 HC, 74/437 [51] Int. Cl B666 1/00 [58] Field ofSearch 254/186, 186 HC,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 319,513 6/1885 Berge 74/4372,408,365

10/1946 Biehl Kile 254/186 HC l/l966 Scott ..254/l75.7 3/1967 Muller..254/175.7

Primary Examinerl-larvey C. Hornsby Attorney-B. Deon Criddle [5 7]ABSTRACT A portable, compact hoist constructed of lightweight metals andhigh strength fabrics. The invention has a maximum lifting capacity anda minimum size and weight. A self-locking gear arrangement that can beovercome by momentum of an operating handle insures that a flat tapeused for the hoist cable can be efficiently wound onto or off of thereel and that the tape can also be rapidly pulled from the real.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented Oct. 16, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. HENRY R. LIFFERTH ATTORNEY Patentd- Oct. 16, 1973 3,765,651

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HENRY R. LIFFERTH ATTORNEY HOIST BRIEFDESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This inventionrelates to self-contained hoists or lifting devices.

2. Prior Art It has long been recognized that there is a need for alifting device that is small enough and light enough to be easilycarried conveniently by an individual such as a hunter, and that iscapable of providing a sufficient mechanical advantage that theindividual, using the device can lift significant weight, such as theweight of a slain animal, with a minimum effort on the part of theindividual. Hoists heretofore known, having elevating capacities similarto those of the present invention are bulky and have been much heavier,being generally of steel construction, and not compactly designed to beportable.

At the same time, it is desirable that the same principals of operationof the small hoist be adaptable to other uses, such as for use in largehoists and even those that may be motor driven.

Various types of block and tackle arrangements have been proposed forthe purpose and usually they include some kind of a braking arrangementfor locking the tackle at a particular position. These brakingarrangements may take the form of clamps, ratchets on the drums on whichthe tackle are wound or they may be of other different configurations.The tackle is generally woven of wire rope and the entire assembly isbulky to carry, store and handle.

Other types of lifting devices have also been proposed, but, so far as Iam aware, none have been entirely satisfactory from the standpoints ofconvenience of use, durability, weight and compactness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Principal objects of the present invention areto provide an easily used, efficient, durable, lightweight and compact,self-contained hoist.

To achieve these objects, I have provided, as features of my invention atwo-piece readily cast and assembled housing, a combined take-up reeland driven gear and a handle turned drive gear arranged to mesh .withthe driven gear. A flat tape is wound onto the reel as the hoist cable,and means, including the drive and driven gears are provided forautomatically locking the tape against further unwinding from the reel.

In one embodiment, the tape can be pulled rapidly from the reel, and inboth illustrated embodiments the housing is assembled such that the tapecan be connected thereto to increase the lifting force that can behandled by the unit and the handle is arranged so as to be readilyoperated but such that the overall thickness dimension of the hoist unitis kept at a minimum.

Additional objects and features will become apparent to those skilled inthe art from the following detailed description and claims, taken withthe accompanying drawings.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an assembled hoist ofthe invention;

FIG. 2, a side elevation view, with alternate handle positions shown bydotted lines;

FIG. 3, a horizontal section, taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1 and showingone embodiment of drive arrangement;

FIG. 4, a vertical section, taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5, a view like that of FIG. 3, but showing another embodiment ofdrive arrangement;

FIG. 6, a view like that of FIG. 4, but showing the embodiment of FIG.5; and

FIG. 7, a sectional view showing how a hook is secured to a hoistingtape of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings:

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-S, the hoist 10 of the invention comprisesa pair of housing members 11 and 12 arranged to have a tape reel 13,FIG. 3, and a drive unit 14 therein. A handle 15 is secured to a driveshaft 16, exteriorly of housing member 12.

The housing members 11 and 12 are preferably cast from an aluminum alloyor other suitably strong but lightweight material. Housing member 11includes a side wall 17 and an inwardly projecting circular central wall18 that has an opening therein at 19 for a portion of the central walllength. As will be further explained, the central wall serves as a guidefor a hoisting tape 20 and the opening 19 will allow the tape 20 to beunwound from or to be wound onto the reel 13.

A central opening 21, FIG. 4, is provided through side wall 17 tojournal one end of the tape reel 13. Another opening 22 is providedthrough central wall 18 to journal a drive gear 23 of the drive unit 14,one end of which forms the drive shaft 16 to which handle 15 isconnected. Other openings 24 and 25 are provided through side wall 17 atopposite ends of the housing member 11 and are used to hold the housingmembers together, as will be more fully described.

Housing member 12 has side wall 27 with a circular central wall 28projecting inwardly therefrom. Central wall 28 is open at 29, FIG. 3, toform an opening through which the tape is passed. When the unit isassembled, central wall 28 abuts central wall 18, but the inner diameterof wall 18 is made larger than the inner diameter of wall 28 so thatwall 18 will surround adriven gear 30 fixed to tape reel 13. As shown,the driven gear is integral with the tape reel, but they can be madeseparate and then be interconnected for rotation together.

A central opening 31 through side wall 27 serves to journal the otherend of tape reel 13 and the driven gear 30.

Driven gear 30 is provided with the usual gear teeth 32 around thegreatest portion of its periphery but with a tooth removed at equalspaced distances around the periphery and a concave surface 33, FIG. 3,interconnecting the adjacent teeth.

The drive gear 23 is formed with teeth 34 arranged to mesh with teeth 32and a convex surface 35 interconnecting teeth 32 and having a greaterdegree of curvature than does each concave surface 33, arranged toengage each of the surfaces 33.

In operation, turning of the handle 15 fixed to drive shaft 16 alsoturns drive gear 23. The teeth 34 on the drive gear mesh with the teeth32 to turn the driven gear and the tape reel 13 affixed thereto. Thereis a momentary hesitation in the turning of the driven gear and reel 13as the convex surface 35 turns within a concave surface 33, but turningcontinues as soon as the gear teeth again mesh.

Thus, by turning handle the tape reel is turned to pay out or to wind upthe tape fixed thereto. The direction of turning of the handledetermines whether the tape is payed out or wound on.

However, if the handle 15 is not turned and is placed in its loweredposition with respect to the openings 19 and 29, pulling on the tape 20will merely turn the tape reel and the driven gear until a corner of aconcave surface 33 engages a convex surface 35 to lock the gears againstfurther rotation.

If the handle 15 is positioned above its lowered position with respectto the openings 19 and 29 and is allowed to swing freely as the tape ispulled, the momentum of the handle as it swings past its lowermostposition will turn the concave surface within the convex surfaces sothat teeth will continue to mesh and the tape can be pulled withoutlocking of the unit.

Thus, the hoist unit described can be used by turning handle 15 to payout tape 20, or the tape can be rapidly pulled out, if desired. The tapecan be readily taken up by turning the handle and the unit is selflocking.

Roll pins 37 and 38 are respectively inserted through openings 24 and 25in housing member 11 and corresponding aligned openings 39 and 40 inhousing member 12 and their natural tendency to expand frictionallyholds the housing members together. In addition, these pins, which couldbe replaced by nuts and bolts, provide means whereby the hoist can besuspended and as a means to which the end of tape 20 can be secured, asby a hook 41 should it be desired to use a double strand support and arunning book 42 threaded onto the tape for lifting purposes.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, there is shown another driving unit 44 that can beused, in place of the driving unit 14.

As shown, driving unit 44 includes a ring 45, which serves as a drivengear, fixed to the tape reel 46. Ring 45 has a pair of flanges 45a and45b separated by a spacer 45c. Equally spaced notches 47 are formed ineach flange and the notches 47 in flange 45a are offset from the notches47 in flange 45b.

A cylindrical crank shaft 50 serves as a driving gear and extendsthrough housing members 51 and 52, corresponding to the housing members11 and 12 previously disclosed to be journaled therein, and a handle 53is connected by a crank arm 54 to one end of the shaft, exteriorly ofthe housing 12. The crank shaft has a pair of diametrically opposed,circular crank pins 55 and 56 formed thereon and spaced apart by aportion 50a of the crank shaft such that the pins will be arranged tofit within the notches 47 and the portion 50a will be between theflanges 45a and 45b.

Turning of the handle 53 will rotate the crank shaft 50 to sequentiallymove the crank pins 55 and 56 into the notches 47, which are curved attheir lower ends to match the curvature of the pins.

As the turning continues one pin, i.e. pin 55 moves into a notch 47 andthen pushes the ring 45. As the pin 55 is turned with the crank shaft itmoves the notch 47 and rolls out of the notch while at the same time pin56 moves into a notch. Continued turning will then cause pin 56 to pushthe ring until it rolls out of its notch, at which time pin 55 is againmoving into a notch. The op eration is continued as longas it may bedesired to turn the tape reel 46 and to take up or pay out the tape 57connected thereto.

As with the previously described driving unit, unless the crank arm 54and handle 53 are arranged to swing as a pendulum, to thereby providemomentum to the turning of the crank shaft 50, tape 57 cannot be pulledfrom the tape reel 46 and the drive unit is locked. When the unit islocked the pins 55 and 56 act as solid rods preventing movement of thering 45.

Regardless of the drive unit used, it is generally preferred, for asmall hoist, to use a flat tape that can be wound on the reel and thatwill lay flat and take up little space. A tape made of reinforced nylonor other suitably strong material is satisfactory. The tape 20 may besecured to the reel, as best shown in FIG. 3, by inserting it into theirregularly shaped open center 60 of the reel through a slot 61 and theninserting a mating irregular member 62 into the opening to frictionallyclamp the tape between the mating irregularities of the opening.

A somewhat similar securement is used to connect the hook 41 to theother end of the tape. Thus, as best seen in FIG. 7, the tape 20 isinserted into an opening 63 provided in the hook, through a slot 64. Anexpansion pin 65 is inserted into the opening to frictionally hold thetape against the wall of the opening. To provide better securement, agroove 66 can be provided, extending off of opening 63 and the eppansionpin can be provided with a corresponding projection 65a to fit into thegroove. A similar groove, expansion pin and projection can be providedin the reel, if desired, or necessary for adequate holding.

While the drive unit of FIGS. 5 and 6 has been shown and described asincluding two spaced crank pins cooperating with notches in two spacedflanges, and this has proven satisfactory in that it imparts asubstantially continuous rotation to the reel and gives a veryadvantageous gear ratio, more crank pins and cooperating notched flangescan be used, if desired. Also, the angular relationship of the sidewalls of the notches can be changed to provide more or less continuityto the operation of the unit.

In both embodiments of the invention, the reinforced tape is usedbecause it will lie flat, thereby reducing bulk when it is taken up andbecause of the strength that can be obtained. It has been noticed thatafter considerable use the edges of the tape may tend to curl and mayget caught in the reel mechanism. To prevent such undesired curling, thetape is preferably treated with a flexible plastic .coating 67 of amaterial such as urethane. The tape will then retain its flatcharacteristics and will have an increased useful life. The flexibleplastic can be brushed or sprayed on, but preferably is applied bydipping the tape therein.

Also, while the drive units herein disclosed have been illustrated incompact, small-type hoists, it should be apparent that they can be usedwith hoists of any desired size.

Although preferred embodiments of my invention have been hereindescribed, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is by wayof example and that variations are possible, without departing from thescope of the hereinafter claimed subject matter, which subject matter Iregard as my invention.

I claim:

1. A hoist comprising a housing;

a cable reel journaled for rotation in said housing;

6 a flat tape of reinforced fabric having one end fixed the notches ofone of said flanges.

to said reel and extending through said housing to 2. A hoist as inclaim 1, further including serve as a hoist cable; a rotating weightaffixed to the drive gear whereby means for rotating said reel, saidmeans including a continuous rotation of the driven gear will rotatedriven gear fixed to the reel, said driven gear com- 5 the drive gear asa result of pendulum action of the prising a ring fixed to the reel andhaving a plurality weight. of spaced apart flanges at the peripherythereof and 3. A hoist as in claim 2, wherein the rotating weight spacednotches around said flanges, the notches of includes each said flangebeing offset with respect to the a handle mounted on one end of a crankarm, the notches of each other flange and a drive gear com- 10 other endof which is connected to the drive gear. prising a cylindrical crankshaft having a plurality 4. A hoist as in claim 1, wherein the flat tapehas a of eccentric crank pins formed axially thereof, flexible plasticcoating on the surfaces thereof. each of said crank pins being adaptedto mesh with

